Dr. LaDonna’s Building Bridges Across the Waters - Africa Exhale Global Retreats Project is a fundraiser for
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Gratitude Holiday 2023 (November 23, 2023)

Greetings from Kigali, Rwanda!

Back home in Chicago and the US family, friends and communities will wake up to the Thanksgiving Holiday.  I’ve had fun explaining this holiday that happens on Thursday in the middle of the week.  The blessing of us all being from different cultures means that we can share our traditions that we love, we can learn from one another.  And we can make new ones together.


In these significant times in which we are living, I have a great deal for which to be thankful.  First, I want to thank each one of you who will and have invested in this Vision.  Your financial support literally means the world.


With your support, this Vision is becoming reality and is right on time, by God’s grace, for the times in which we are living.


I penned this article for our Seeds Fellows blog and share it with you by way of update.

We appreciate your donation, investment and partnership in these days.


Our prayers and gratitude are with you.

With love and faith,


Dr. LaDonna


 

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Saying Yes to God in These Times

From Vision to Reality: Building Bridges Across the Waters 


Rev. Dr. LaDonna Sanders Nkosi

Seeds Fellow 2023

Greetings of peace from Kigali Rwanda!

(Photo by Ubuntu Global Village Communications. Our first Global Leaders Refresh Retreat in Kigali, Rwanda, October 2022) 

First of all, I give God thanks for the Seeds Fellows Program and to be a part of this 2023 Cohort for such a time as this!

Saying “Yes” to the Seeds Project has meant saying “Yes” and stepping out on faith to fly from my home in Chicago to Rwanda this past January and to lean all the way in to God’s calling on my life.  Back in 2003, when I was ordained at Faith in Action in Durban, South Africa, just before I was graduating with my Master of Divinity at McCormick Theological seminary in Chicago, God gave me a Vision of Bridges Across the Waters and showed me that my “job is to take people back and forth across the bridges across the waters (between the US and Africa). In doing so, centuries of healing would take place.”

Real talk, it took me almost 20 years to begin to fully live into this vision and assignment.  I took 15 bridgebuilding trips, 11 of which were to South Africa.  We planned to host our first Ubuntu Global Journey in 2020.  However, with pandemic restrictions, no travel was possible and this Vision was delayed more than three years.

What do you do when the Vision God gives you is delayed? 

Pray, listen in.  Seek God together.  Write down what God says.

“Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That the one may run who reads it.  For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

Finally in 2022, I began traveling globally again.  First in April, to London for the first time for Resurrection Sunday season to preach and minister poetic prophetics at ICAN Community Church London. In May, I traveled with the FaithX mission trip to Rwanda.  And it was there I began to reflect on the 2003 Vision of building these bridges across the waters. 

In October 2022,  at God’s leading, I returned to Rwanda to write my doctoral thesis on “Healing Racism from the Inside Out” about the virtual Healing Racism Poetry and Journaling Experiences that we offered in 2021 online.

While in Rwanda, I began to pray about how we could offer these retreat experiences in person and even invite people to these significant locations of Rwanda and South Africa.

While I have been a 2023 Seeds Fellow, I also became a Do Good X Fellow.  This entrepreneurial program provides a 10 week accelerator to build and strengthen the business of your social good venture.  This November, I participated in the Pitch for Good for investors and partners.  As Africa Exhale Retreats is being born, we are seeing God’s Vision from 2003 becoming a reality.  Praise God!

(Photo:  From Africa Exhale and Ubuntu Global Retreats. The Vision is becoming reality.)

Launching in 2024, we will offer global retreats for leaders to decompress, de-stress, connect in and even refresh to hear and receive God’s direction and calling for these times.

We will launch this February.  If you or your church, organization or community would like to partner to support, please don’t hesitate to contact GlobalTeam@RevLaDonna.Global or donate directly to our Seeds Fellow Site at https://seeds.luthersem.edu/p2p/311781/dr-ladonna-sanders-nkosi .

Questions for Reflection & Journaling

So let me ask you as I reflect and journal about this myself: 

  • What is God calling you to in these times?

  • Is there a word, a project a Vision that God gave you some time ago that maybe in the busy-ness of life and even ministry you have forgotten about?

  • Take some moments to write about this.  Journal it out.  Remember.  Re-member.

As I close, I share this poem that I also ministered at our Seeds Reunion Retreat this past August from the collection Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: Poem Book. Order yours here. revladonna.global/shop

As you reflect on God’s calling for you for these times, and your own “Yes” to God, journal and reflect on this also.  

  • What do you see? 

  • What do you hear?  

  • How is God speaking to you in these times?

Remembering Who We Are

“Singing and Praying:

Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know. Be still. Be.

I am the Lord that healeth thee. I am the Lord that healeth thee.

Born a beloved child of God

Before I even knew so

Before I was even thought of

Before the foundations of the world

I, a baby girl, just above the toddling age

Sank my bare tippy toes in deep plush red carpets, I stepped my feet on deep plush

Red carpets and step by step passed ornate thrones and seats of gold and crimson.

I dragged the plushness of my yellow and gold calico baby blanket down the aisle

Stepping on deep red carpets and the harps played and trumpets sounded

As I stepped up one, two, three

To the Throne of Grace

And all glory shone from the seat of the throne And I climbed up on the lap of the

Creator

And God whispered in my ear...

God said,

Before you are born,

Know that I know you

Before I put you in the womb

Know that I have set you apart

I appoint you as a prophet to the nations

God said,

Fear not for I have redeemed you I have called you by name

You are mine.

When you pass through the waters

I will be with you

When you walk through fire you will not be burned.

At times you will forget,

But it is me who knit you together in your mother’s womb, At times you will forget,

But you are fear-fully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are my works.

Know that full well.

Born a beloved child of God

Before you even knew so

Before you were even thought of

Before the foundations of the world

You, a baby boy, a baby girl, just above the toddling age Sank your bare tippy toes in deep plush red carpets, You stepped your feet on deep plush

Red carpets and step by step passed ornate thrones and seats of gold and crimson.

You dragged the plushness, your favorite baby blanket down the aisle.

Stepping on deep red carpets and the harps played and trumpets sounded

As you stepped up one, two, three

To the Throne of Grace

And all glory shone from the seat of the throne As you climbed up on the lap of the Creator And God whispered in your ear...

Remember? Remember? Remember?

Remember.

This is Remembering Who We Are.”

(From Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: Poem Book by Rev. LaDonna Sanders Nkosi)

(Photo by Sitraka  Rakotoarivelo . Dr. LaDonna Sanders Nkosi speaking at the Seeds Fellows Reunion Retreat, August 2024)

Rev. Dr. LaDonna Sanders Nkosi is a global poet, author and founder of Africa Exhale and Ubuntu Global Retreats, launching in 2024.  She speaks widely online and in person through conference preaching, teaching and poetry.  She is founder of the Gathering Global Network, and she loves mentoring, providing counsel and hosting retreats for leaders.  For speaking, booking, retreats and inquiries, contact GlobalTeam@revladonna.global

🌍Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/revladonnankosi/





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July 4, 2023

Greetings of peace from Kigali, Rwanda!

Today is Liberation Day in Rwanda and Independence Day in the US.  Today Rwanda is in its 29th Year of Liberation from the genocide and 61 years in their liberation from colonization.  These powerful days give us much upon which to reflect.  Since I wrote here last, so much has taken place.  I am reminded continually of the cross-sections of our histories and presences and the gift we have to bring people together across cultures for the greater good and for each one's greatness.

One of the highlights of our time here has been gathering for prayer at Mereneza Prayer mountain.  People from surrounding areas come to join us.  This is Mughisha (who's name means Blessing) who joins us each week.  He like so many others come here regularly to lift up prayers for their families, for the nation and the nations.  If you come to visit us here, this is definitely a place we will come. This Land of a Thousand Hills is something to behold!




This past month we launched Morning Coffee with Dr. LaDonna on our various channels including YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.  Check out these first episodes and like, SUBSCRIBE and share with your networks.

I was so glad to interview and share in conversation with author Camelle iLona from Milton Keynes, UK linked above. Check out these other episodes:

I also ask you to share with this your peoples and networks and ask that you donate to this campaign.  Your tax-deductible donation allows us to say yes to some of the many speaking and ministry invitations and to continue to produce our online Globalcast and other project initiatives.

Up next on the journey:

With your donations and support, we'll be traveling back to the U.S., to South Africa for Poetry Africa, back to Rwanda and more.  All along the way, we will invite global guests to share in conversation with us.  This month, my birthday month, I am looking forward to featuring Taryn Little of the Unlearning Course of Cornerstone Institute in Cape Town and much more!

In these days, online, we appreciate your likes, subscribes and encouragements.  Real talk, though, your donations help us to continue to be a healing and bridge building presence in the world.  If you have the ability and the heart to give a generous gift, please do.

With so much love and thanks!

Dr. LaDonna 

Kigali, Rwanda 

Liberation Day

July 4, 2023


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Greetings of peace from Kigali,

Rwanda!

Thank you for joining me on the journey!  Your donations go to support Dr. LaDonna's Global Travel Fund as we build connections and Global Retreats for Leaders here in Kigali, Rwanda, Durban, South Africa and beyond.

"A generous person will prosper.  Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed."  Proverbs 11:25.

 

Here is my Testimony: I came here from Chicago last October by God's leading  to finish my doctoral thesis.  While I was here, I hosted my first REFRESH Retreat for pastors, leaders and intercessors here in Rwanda.  I'm excited to be returning to Durban, South Africa to do the same.  This is where we had our first Global Leaders REFRESH Gathering back in 2017.  Always in my heart, on my mind and in the prayers are these key questions...

Who refreshes those who refresh us?  Who provides refreshment or the leaders?

This year, as a SEEDS Fellow, I am committing myself to building, curating and hosting these Global REFRESH Retreats.  Your generous donations help to support the costs of travel, accommodations, retreat and operations expenses.

As you partner with us, you will see and learn first-hand the impact your generous support makes as you hear from those who have been impacted by this global bridge building mission and ministry.

Your generous donations to this project support:

  • Plane tickets between Chicago, Rwanda, Cape Town & Durban, South Africa where we will be curating our retreats.
  • Accommodations.
  • Ground transportation.
  • Translation & local support team.
  • Retreat accommodations, scholarship support and travel for local pastors and leaders to attend.

Thank you for generous support and partnering with us today!

Donors and partners to this project will have the opportunity to follow the developments as we go and hear testimonies from those who are and have been impacted. 

Thank you so much for your support and prayers!

Dr. LaDonna 

Kigali, Rwanda

May 2023





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Ministry today looks different than in the past. Every day, new leaders are emerging who are eager to cultivate new forms of Christian community through innovative ministries. These leaders are developing new ways of being church in a changing world. The Holy Spirit is at work through them, but the established church structures aren’t necessarily designed to support and connect them. That leaves many of these leaders feeling isolated, disconnected, and in need of support, encouragement, and resources.

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